This invention claims priority to German Priority Application 101 06 696.1, filed on Feb. 14, 2001, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Surgical microscopes, in particular, must be capable of being used in a variety of utilization positions during surgery, and for that purpose must be very rapidly and universally adjustable. DE 33 05 650 A1, for example, discloses a unit, preferably usable as a surgical microscope, that comprises, between the eyepieces and the objective part, two arms joined articulatedly to one another. In the unit""s interior the optical beam path extends through lenses and deflectable mirrors. This arrangement is, however, very complex in terms of design, limited in adjustability, and requires a great deal of room.
Also known from DE 34 02 354 A1 is a microscope, usable preferably in a stationary fashion, that makes possible a height adjustment of the eyepiece with respect to the specimen stage. This height adjustability allows the unit to be optically adapted to operating persons of different heights, and allows for a fatigue-free operation over a long period of time. The adjustability is accomplished by the fact that a carriage which carries the eyepieces is displaceable with respect to the objective carrier along a supporting column equipped with V-guides. Such displaceability is desirable, however, only if the optical beams in the region between the objective part and viewing part or eyepiece extend in parallel fashion, since otherwise the image appearing in the eyepiece will be optically modified by the displacement. This displaceability is moreover limited, since with greater displacements an undesirable vignetting occurs, in which beyond a specific setting, only a portion of the original image is visible in the eyepiece.
It is therefore an object of the invention to create a microscope, universally adjustable in the region between the objective and the eyepiece, capable of a modification of its overall length without vignetting, so that a user has optimum viewing conditions.
The present invention provides for a microscope, which may be a stereomicroscope, comprising: at least one objective; at least one eyepiece; at least one optical component configured to form a beam path from the objective to the eyepiece, wherein each optical component comprises at least one of a lens, mirror, and deflection prism; and a tube configured to enclose a portion of the beam path, comprising at least one region of modifiable length configured to connect to at least one optical correction element and configured so that the at least one optical correction element may be inserted into or removed from said portion of the beam path. The microscope may further comprise the optical correction element.
In one aspect of the present invention, either the tube or the microscope itself may be pivotable about a pivot axis that is substantially perpendicular to an axis of the beam path.
In another aspect of the present invention, the region of modifiable length may be configured to be modified by extending it telescopically.
In another aspect of the present invention, the region of modifiable length may be configured to enclose a parallel portion of the beam path. Alternatively, the region of modifiable length may be configured to enclose one of a converging and diverging portion of the beam path.
In another aspect of the present invention, the optical correction element may comprise a correction lens, or group of lenses, configured to be manually or automatically pivoted or slid into and out of the beam path. Alternatively, the optical correction element may comprise a plane-parallel plate.
In another aspect, the present invention may further comprise a linkage between the tube and the correction lens configured to pivot or slide the correction lens as a function of a length of the region of modifiable length.
In another aspect, the present invention may further comprise: at least one sensor configured to detect a length of said region of modifiable length; at least one mechanical drive configured to pivot or slide the correction lens; and a controller between said sensor and said mechanical drive configured to control said mechanical drive as a function of a detection signal received from said sensor.